First coniveau notch of the Dwork family and its mirror (Q730673)

Let \(X\) be the Dwork family of hypersurfaces in \(\mathbb{P}^n\) defined by the equation \[ \sum_{i=0}^nX_i^{n+1}+\lambda\prod_{i=0}^nX_i=0 \] with the parameter \(\lambda\) in a field \(k\). When \(X_\lambda\) is smooth, it is a Calabi--Yau manifold. There is a group action on \(X_\lambda\) by the kernel \(G\) of the character \(\mu_{n+1}^{n+1}\to \mu_{n+1}: (\zeta_i)\mapsto\prod_i \zeta_i\), given by \[ G\times X_\lambda\to X_\lambda:(\zeta_0,\dots,\zeta_n)\cdot(x_0,\dots,x_n)=(\zeta_0x_0,\dots,\zeta_n x_n). \] The quotient \(X_\lambda /G\) is a hypersurface with trivial canonical bundle in a toric Fano variety and a singular mirror of \(X_\lambda\). Let \(Y_\lambda\) be its crepant resolution, then the pair \((X_\lambda, Y_\lambda)\) is a mirror pair. When \(k =\mathbb{F}_q\) is a finite field, \textit{D. Wan} [in: Stud. Adv. Math. 38, 159--184 (2006; Zbl 1116.11044)] proved the mirror congruence for the number of rational points on \(X_\lambda\) and \(Y_\lambda\) that \[ \#X_\lambda (\mathbb{F}_{q^m})\equiv \#Y_\lambda(\mathbb{F}_{q^m}) \pmod {q^m} \] for every positive integer \(m\). For more general mirror pairs, \textit{L. Fu} and \textit{D. Wan} [Asian J. Math. 10, No. 1, 1--10 (2006; Zbl 1122.14032)], and \textit{P. Berthelot, S. Bloch} and \textit{H. Esnault} [Compos. Math. 143, No. 2, 363--392 (2007; Zbl 1213.14040)] proved the mirror congruence \[ \#X(\mathbb{F}_{q^m})\equiv \#(X/G)(\mathbb{F}_{q^m})\pmod {q^m}. \] In the paper under review, the motives of \(X_\lambda\) and \(Y_\lambda\) are studied. Here a motive is understood to be a pair \((X, P)\) where \(X\) a smooth projective variety and \(P\in CH^{dim(X)} (X \times X)\in\mathbb{Q}\) is a projector. In this paper, only effective motives are considered. For \(X_\lambda\) the cycle \(P = 1/|G|\sum_{g\in G}\Gamma(g)\) where \(\Gamma\) denotes the graph, is a projector. Birational motives are used to reduce a statement to the zero cycles over \(\mathbb{C}\). The main result is the following theorem. Theorem A: Let \(k\) be a perfect field, and \(n\geq 2\). Assume that char(\(k\)) does not divide \(n + 1\) if char(\(k\)) is positive. Let \(X_\lambda\) be a smooth member of the Dwork family. Then there exist effective motives \(N\), \(N'\) such that \[ (X_\lambda, id)\simeq (X_\lambda, P)\oplus N \oplus\mathbb{Q}(-1) \] and \[ (Y_\lambda , id)\simeq (X_\lambda, P)\oplus N'\oplus\mathbb{Q}(-1). \] Consequences of the above theorem are stated as follows. Corollary: If \(k =\mathbb{C}\), then there is an isomorphism of Hodge structures \[ Gr_N^0H^*(X_\lambda,\mathbb{Q})\simeq Gr_N^0H^*(Y_\lambda,\mathbb{Q}). \] If \(k =\mathbb{F}_q\), the finite field with \(q\) elements, then for all \(m\geq 1\), \[ \#X_\lambda (\mathbb{F}_{q^m}) = \#Y_\lambda (\mathbb{F}_{q^m}) \pmod{q^m}. \] Theorem: Let \(X\) be a smooth projective variety over \(\mathbb{F}_q\) with an action of a finite group \(G\). Let \(\pi : X\to X/G\) be the quotient, and \(f : Y\to X/G\) be a birational map where \(Y\) is a smooth projective variety. Then \[ \#Y (\mathbb{F}_2 ) = \#(X/G)(\mathbb{F}_q) \pmod{q}. \]